Essays on Modern Novelists Part 10

NEW YEAR'S EVE

BY THOMAS HARDY

"I have finished another year," said G.o.d, "In grey, green, white, and brown; I have strewn the leaf upon the sod, Sealed up the worm within the clod, And let the last sun down."

"And what's the good of it?" I said, "What reasons made You call From formless void this earth I tread, When nine-and-ninety can be read Why nought should be at all?

"Yea, Sire; why shaped You us, 'who in This tabernacle groan'?-- If ever a joy be found herein, Such joy no man had wished to win If he had never known!"

Then He: "My labours logicless You may explain; not I: Sense-sealed I have wrought, without a guess That I evolved a Consciousness To ask for reasons why!

"Strange, that ephemeral creatures who By my own ordering are, Should see the shortness of my view, Use ethic tests I never knew, Or made provision for!"

He sank to raptness as of yore, And opening New Year's Day Wove it by rote as theretofore, And went on working evermore In his unweeting way.

DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO MEA

BY RICHARD DODDRIDGE BLACKMORE

1

In the hour of death, after this life's whim, When the heart beats low, and the eyes grow dim, And pain has exhausted every limb-- The lover of the Lord shall trust in Him.

2

When the will has forgotten the life-long aim, And the mind can only disgrace its fame, And a man is uncertain of his own name, The power of the Lord shall fill this frame.

3

When the last sigh is heaved and the last tear shed, And the coffin is waiting beside the bed, And the widow and the child forsake the dead, The angel of the Lord shall lift this head.

4

For even the purest delight may pall, The power must fail, and the pride must fall, And the love of the dearest friends grow small-- But the glory of the Lord is all in all.

This poem, with the signature "R. D. B. in memoriam M. F. G." first appeared in the _University Magazine_ in 1879. Although it has been included in some anthologies, the author's name was kept an absolute secret until July, 1909. In the _Athenaeum_ for 3 July, 1909, was printed an interesting letter from Agnes E. Cook, by which we learn that the late Mr. Blackmore actually _dreamed_ this poem, in its exact language and metre. The letter from the author which was published in the same _Athenaeum_ article, gives the facts connected with this extraordinary dream.

Teddn Jany 5th 1879.

My Dear Sir.

Having lately been at the funeral of a most dear relation I was there again (in a dream) last night, and heard the mourners sing the lines enclosed, which impressed me so that I was able to write them without change of a word this morning. I never heard or read them before to my knowledge. They do not look so well on paper as they sounded; but if you like to print them, here they are. Only please not to put my name beyond initials or send me money for them. With all good wishes to Mrs. Cook and yourself

Very truly yours R. D. Blackmore.

K Cook Esqre L.L.D.

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

BY ANDREW KEOGH

[The twelve authors are in alphabetical order. The books of each are in chronological order, the a.s.signed dates being those of the publishers'

trade journals in which the fact of publication was first recorded.

Novels originally issued as serials have a note giving the name and date of the original magazine.]

BJoRNSTJERNE BJoRNSON

8 December 1832--

[Including only works that have been translated into English.]

1857, Sept. 1. Synnove Solbakken. Christiania. (_Ill.u.s.treret Folkeblad_, 1857.)--Trust and Trial. [A translation by Mary Howitt.] London, Hurst, Sept. 15, 1858.--Love and Life in Norway.

Tr. by the Hon. Augusta Beth.e.l.l and A. Plesner. London, Ca.s.sell [1870].--Synnove Solbakken. Tr. by R. B. Anderson. Boston, Houghton, 1881.--Synnove Solbakken. Given in English by Julie Sutter. London, Macmillan, 1881.

1858. Arne. Bergen, 1858 [1859].--Arne; or, Peasant Life in Norway. Tr. by a Norwegian. Bergen [1861].--Arne: a Sketch of Norwegian Country Life. Tr. by A. Plesner and S. Rugely-Powers.

London, Strahan, Aug. 1, 1866.--Arne. Tr. by R. B. Anderson.

Boston, Houghton, 1881.--Arne, and the Fisher La.s.sie. Tr. with an introd. by W. Low. London, Bell, 1890.

1860. En glad Gut. Christiania. (_Aftenbladet._)--Ovind. Tr. by S.

and E. Hjerleid. London, 1869.--The Happy Boy. Tr. by Helen R.

Gade. Boston, Sever, 1870.--A Happy Boy. Tr. by R. B. Anderson.

Boston, Houghton, 1881.--The Happy Lad, and other Tales. London, Blackie, 1882.

1862. Sigurd Slembe. Copenhagen.--Sigurd Slembe: a Dramatic Trilogy. Tr. by W. M. Payne. Boston, Houghton, Oct. 20, 1888.

1865. De Nygifte. Copenhagen.--The Newly Married Couple. Tr. by S.

and E. Hjerleid. London, Simpkin, 1870.

1868, Apr. Fiskerjenten. Copenhagen.--The Fisher-Maiden: a Norwegian Tale. From the author's German edition by M. E. Niles.

N.Y., Holt, 1869.--The Fis.h.i.+ng Girl. Tr. by A. Plesner and F.

Richardson. London, Ca.s.sell [1870].--The Fisher Girl. Tr. by S.

and E. Hjerleid. London, Simpkin, 1871 [1870].--The Fisher Maiden.

Tr. by R. B. Anderson. Boston, Houghton, 1882.--Arne and the Fisher La.s.sie. Tr. with an introd. by W. Low. London, Bell, 1890.

1873. Brude-Slaatten: Fortaelling. Copenhagen.--Life by the Fells and Fiords. A Norwegian Sketch-book [containing a translation of the Bridal March]. London, Strahan, 1879.--The Bridal March and other Stories. Tr. by R. B. Anderson. Boston, 1882.--The Wedding March. Tr. by M. Ford. N.Y., Munro, 1882.

1877, Oct. Magnhild: en Fortaelling. Copenhagen.--Magnhild. Tr. by R. B. Anderson. Boston, Houghton, 1883 [1882].

1879, Aug. Kaptejn Mansana. Copenhagen.--Captain Mansana, and other Stories. Tr. by R. B. Anderson. Cambridge, Ma.s.s., 1882.--Captain Mansana. N.Y., Munro, 1882.--Captain Mansana, and Mother's Hands. N.Y., Macmillan, 1897.

1883, Sept. En Hanske: Skuespil. Copenhagen.--A Glove: a Prose Play. (_Poet-Lore_, Jan.-July, 1892.)--A Gauntlet. Tr. by H. L.

Braekstad. London, French [1890].--A Gauntlet. Tr. by Osman Edwards. London, Longmans, 1894.

Nov. Over aevne. Frste Stykke. Copenhagen.--Pastor Sang: being the Norwegian drama Over aevne [Part 1]. Tr. by W. Wilson. London, Longmans, 1893.